With Love Just A Wish
by Ffeona 'sarcasm-is-my-drug
Summary: SethRyan pairing. Slash. AU from the last episode of series one where Seth leaves to go to Portland and Ryan leaves to be with Theresa. Set years later. Seth never went back to the OC but does visit occasionally. Review if you want more! ON HOLD!
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue: A Phone Call**

Ring-ring… Ring-ring… Ring-ring…

"Hello? Ward residence."

"Hello, Luke, it's Kirsten Cohen… Is Seth there?"

"Um… Hi Mrs Cohen, I'll just go see."

"_Dude it's your mom."_

"_Eh."_

"_Dude, really!"_

"_Eh."_

"He's here Mrs Cohen."

"Thank you, Luke."

"Hi mom."

"Sweetie. How are you? Are you eating right? Wearing enough sunscreen?"

"Mom, I'm fine."

"If you were fine you'd be at home."

…

"So… how's dad."

"He's okay… he misses you."

"And Ryan?"

"He and Theresa are good, the baby is healthy and they think it'll be a girl."

"Right."

…

"You know we love you. No matter what."

…

"Love you too mom."

…

"Please come home, Seth."

…

…

"I've gotta go, I'll talk to you later, yeah."

…

"Ok… well, remember to put sun lotion on because you don't want to peel and make sure Carson feeds you properly and never forget I love you, Seth, and there is always a home for you here."

"Bye."

"Goodbye-"

Hmmm-hmmm… hmmm-hmmm.

**Chapter One; Seth Cohen**

He didn't go home. Ryan couldn't convince him, his dad gave up, and his mom grew to accept whatever part of his life he offered which happened to be holidays. Seth returned to Newport for Thanks Giving, Christmukkah, birthdays, and school breaks but finished high school in Portsmouth while working part time and living with Carson and Luke. He graduated with good grades, better than he'd dreamed of grades, and new friends although he didn't call a single one 'best'. He then went of to university and ended up majoring in business with a minor in Tourism and eventually graduated and became a businessman, owning his own company of tourist boats and guides that eventually encompassed the whole of California although he moved to L.A., and he earned a whole load of money to burn.

By the time he was twenty-eight he felt secure enough to make out a will even though there was still no one permanent in his life. The small share of The Newport Group that he would inherit from his mother would in tern be gifted to Ryan. His comic book collection would be given to Zach and Summer, they could either sell or keep because it would be expensive by the time he planned on dying which was hopefully sometime in his fifties when he was lonely and bitter. Yes, he was aware they'd divorced by a year or so later but he couldn't be bothered to change the will. For Maria, Ryan's beautiful and smart daughter, he left two million dollars to be gifted to her on her thirtieth birthday. No one else was included unless his parents were still alive, then all his possessions would go to them. His money was to be tied in with the company and the rest split between charities, most of them dedicated to giving poor kids a chance at a better life.

Seth didn't really have anything to do with Ryan. It was better this way. The choices he'd made in his life… he had no idea how Ryan would deal and no desire to risk even the partial relationship they had now on finding out. Mom and dad knew and they loved him. He was pretty sure Zach knew because he knew for certain that Summer knew even though it had taken him years to tell her, or rather years for her to discover his secret. It wasn't really a secret, not in his everyday life. But Ryan didn't know and that's what made it feel like a secret.

Seth missed Ryan. But soon he would have to face him again. The thought made him both nervous but at the same time he couldn't wait.

**You Are Invited to the Wedding of**

Marissa Cooper

**and**

Andrew Carmichael


	2. Chapter 2

**Interlude 1; an article **

Transcript of an interview : Kaitlin Cooper 'The Orange Woman'

Interviewer 'Siobhan Lucas' SL

Interviewee Kaitlin Cooper 'KC'

SL: So, Ms Cooper can you give us a brief description of your book for those of us out there not privileged enough to be privy to a sneak preview?

KC: Well, Siobhan (please call me Kaitlin) 'The Orange Woman' was inspired by my mother Julie Cooper-Nichol and my late sister Marissa with of course aspects of social oddities that not many Californian women get to experience. The title is a direct reference to growing up in Orange County and becoming a woman. I am an Orange Woman, my mother was the original Orange Woman. And that is what it is about, partially autobiographical, partly biographical, and part fiction and speculation…

**Chapter Two; Ryan Atwood**

The night Ryan went to live with Theresa in Chino changed everything for Ryan. It dragged him back down to the place he'd come from, somewhere he hadn't wanted to return, but did so because he knew that it wasn't the baby's fault or Theresa's and he wasn't the kind of man that was gonna stand by and let them suffer for something he was partially responsible for.

Then Seth ran away from home and Ryan felt guilty because in the back of his mind a voice was saying that if he hadn't left to play daddy to a kid that may not even be his then Seth would still be in Newport attending Harbor high school and being smothered by Kirsten and Sandy.

So he left to try and persuade Seth to go home because Ryan couldn't. To his surprise and hurt Seth met his request with anger and a blunt refusal. Theresa phoned while he was out of Chino and reported that she'd lost the baby and Ryan couldn't help but add that to the mountain of guilt he carried. So to alleviate some he moved back into the Pool House of the Cohen residence and attended Harbor high school and was smothered by Kirsten and Sandy's love.

Seth stayed in Portland for the school year and while Ryan never found out why he did know that Kirsten and Sandy knew and accepted that all they got of their son was the holidays during which Seth returned to Portland and attended school their. His grades improved, he hardly ever got into trouble and by the time he graduated he was a changed man. Ryan and Seth were never as close as before but Ryan was just glad that Seth seemed so happy and complete.

Ryan graduated Berkley university, which took a full year longer than normal due to the revelation that Theresa hadn't lost the baby and after a paternity test Ryan found out he was a father. However Kirsten and Ryan had become much closer as Seth's absence continued and she insisted that while Ryan had every right to have a role in the child's life that didn't mean giving up school, giving up his life. Kirsten paid for Theresa to have a nanny while she worked for the rent on a nearby apartment and the food on her table (at her insistence, not Kirsten's idea) and Ryan continued his education and helped raise their child, a little girl called Maria. Eventually Ryan became a major player in The Newport Group and brought his own place although he visited home often, donated to charities supporting young people, and had his daughter over for weekends and holidays.

Ryan kept in contact with Marissa but never got back together with her after discovering he really was a father. He made a choice and that was to not expose his daughter to the alcoholic mess that was Marissa Cooper. She learnt to stand on her own eventually and was currently engaged to a successful businessman who could afford to keep her in the style Caleb Nichol had kept her, her mother, and her sister in. Kaitlin went on to write a book about growing into a woman in Orange County which was very successful and made her enough money that she didn't need to rely on others. She was very happy and a good person despite her ability to keep up with Newpsies. Maria loved her. Summer Roberts married Zach but she divorced him nearly a year ago after catching him in bed with his secretary. Summer was overheard saying 'it's just so clichéd, I had to divorce him' when in privet Ryan knew she'd cried tears of pain and hurt. They had two children, a girl called Juliette and a boy called Isaac, Zac Junior, and they both boarded at a New York school because Summer wanted them to experience life outside Newport before eventually attending Harbor as would Maria but she was only thirteen, therefore safe for another few years. Taylor Townsend who had become Summer's friend during their senior year while Marissa was in rehab (for the last time), was doing well. She spent most of her year in the south of France having married a Frenchman called Pierre but often came 'home' to the O.C. without him. Ryan was pretty sure she regularly cheated on him but she sounded happy.

Ryan didn't have much contact with Seth. It saddened him but it also made him angry because he wasn't sure what he'd done wrong to be excluded from Seth's life, which hurt him equalling anger. They only ever saw each other at social functions and family parties, e.g. birthdays and Thanks Giving and Christmukkah, a holiday both Theresa and Maria had been assimilated into.

One such event would soon bring Ryan and Seth together for a period of two weeks was going to happen. Ryan was nervous but couldn't wait.

**You Are Invited to the Wedding of**

Marissa Cooper

**and**

Andrew Carmichael


End file.
